Should we merge with a nearby congregation?
Question:
Hi,
I have a few questions about two churches of Christ merging. I’m a member of a church of Christ. Around five years ago, we had around 50 members, including two elders and three deacons. I was one of the deacons. Things changed a few years ago. The two elders moved outside of the area, leaving the three deacons. Scripture says you can’t have deacons without elders, so the deacons step down. However, we do the same work plus more since we no longer have elders. Luckily, we have two evangelists in the area who help us with teaching and preaching at least once or twice a month, as well as a Wednesday Bible class. However, after the elders left, our membership is down to 25.
In our town, there is another church of Christ with around 20 members. They are composed mostly of older people like ours, but they have two elders. I'm not sure if they have any deacons. Historically, the two churches have never gotten along. They didn’t attend our VBS or our Saturday song fest.
Lately, there have been rumors about merging. Our congregation has always put off that talk. I'm not sure why we haven't had contact with them. However, since we no longer have elders, I would like to meet at a mutually agreed-upon location and discuss merging, without making any decisions on the spot.
What are some questions that need to be addressed or asked?
Answer:
I've seen similar problems all around the world. Churches were started when travel was more difficult, but what was once a half-hour apart is now only 10 minutes. Populations shift, and where there were once too many Christians in a region to fit into a building, there is now barely enough to keep the lights on. Instead of adapting, traditions set in. "We've been here for almost a century! We can't sell the building!" Yet, people forget that a church is not the building; a congregation is composed of the people. Sometimes churches split over issues that decades later no one remembers.
The question everyone needs to ask is: Can I worship and work with the other group and still know that I'm serving the Lord? Hence, ask about why they never visited when you were having singings or meetings? Ask your members why they have never visited this other group. If anyone remembers what the issues were that divided the two congregations, look into the Scriptures and see if one or the other group was correct. Even if you don't merge, changes should be made to align yourselves with the Scriptures. Often, what you'll find is that decades ago, two sets of brethren just didn't get along with each other. Instead of working out the problems, they split. The ones with the issues are no longer there, but the groups stay separated, which is a shame.
Some issues may not be resolvable. For example, there are groups that are absolutely convinced that churches can't have Bible classes. I would not be able to work with such a group. Others want to send money to support various institutions without authority from the Lord. I can't contribute money to a church that spends its funds in ways that the Lord has not approved.
Sometimes a group might do things a bit differently than what I would prefer, but they are not wrong according to the Scriptures, so I can still attend and keep my standards.
Therefore, you need to talk to each other and find out what beliefs separate you, if any do exist. Of those, which are truly wrong according to the Lord, and do they interfere with each person's worship and work? More can't be done until the research is done.
